HS-LU Report International Semester at National University im Fachbereich II im Masterstudiengang Internationales Marketing Management der Hochschule Ludwigshafen am Rhein 10.03.2015
TABLE OF CONTENT Table of Content Table of Content... I 1 Application... 1 2 Visa... 1 3 Living... 2 4 The School... 3 4.1 Classes... 3 4.2 Support... 4 5 Cost... 5 I
1 APPLICATION 1 Application The application process commences with submitting the required documents at the Hochschule Ludwigshafen. Due to the National University San Diego s (NUSD) requirements this is the first hurdle to overcome. Among the documents each student is asked to turn in a bank statement ensuring the financial power of the candidate. In my case a balance of roughly USD 14,000 was required a Euro balance is determined invalid. Attempt to take care of the bank statement soon as it may be complicated to get one that matches the requirements of NUSD Getting the bank statement hasn t been hassle free, quite the contrary was the case. My bank had to be sure that the translation is according to their legal requirements which is why the county operating officer had to sign it as well. Next step in the application is to receive a notification by the local NUSD office in Germany. It might happen that the candidate has to turn in a second batch of the application documents. Hence be ready to have your documents twofold authenticated. From here the candidate mainly holds contact with his personal advisor. Overall the application process seemed to be complex and long. Additionally NUSD seemed to act extra meticulous. In order to speed up the process make sure to have your documents ready in English and according to NUSD standards. Moreover the support by both HS LU and NUSD during the application process are reliable, and very helpful. 2 Visa Receiving a Visa isn t as hard as it may seem. Important for your Visa application is that all the turned in application documents have been accepted by NUSD. This comprises the bank statement. Only if all documents are turned in, the application will be processed and a visa can be issued. I have received an F visa status whereby some schools also issue J visas. Although the NUSD is also called your sponsor it doesn t mean they will pay for visa and SEVIS fees. You have to do all that on your own. Your sponsor (NUSD) only issues a document called an I-20 that is 1
3 LIVING crucial to apply for a visa and to enter the United States of America. In order to complete your visa application you also have to undergo a personal interview at an US embassies. Don t worry about the interview it is merely a 5 minute check to see all your documents are fine. Sometimes they don t even ask questions and employees preponderantly speak German as well. Overall the visa processing has been quick and easy due to many changes on the embassy s website. Besides and in case you still have more concerns, you can talk to your personal NUSD advisor who will guide you through the process. This website will help you solve all your problems with it: http://german.germany.usembassy.gov/visa/niv/ 3 Living In between Orange County and Mexico lies the beautiful harbor City San Diego. California is considered to be one of most beautiful states in the United States which is why plenty of people determine it as a favorable destination. Downside of this are the sky-high real estate prices which are hardly comparable to Germany. Plenty of living opportunities are out there, many also affordable. A student can decide between Student Living (on Campus at the Dorms) and Off Campus Living. A single room with a private bathroom (in an apartment with other people) on average ranges between $1,000 and $1,400 a month. A cultural difference in the USA is that students often share their rooms. This has the benefit to save money and to get in contact with others. I have decided against the students dorms since their rules and prices have been too overwhelming for me. Nevertheless I have found a really good room with private bath offered by a private party for $800 in a very safe, and quite neighborhood in close proximity to the beach. A website I have found most helpful is: http://san-diego.homestaybay.com/en Sometimes you find a room on very short notice because many Americans offer it just a couple weeks prior to the move in date. A very helpful alternative and in case you cannot find anything appropriate try to use a hotel that charges by the week such as: http://www.affordablehousingsd.com/jstreet-inn.asp 2
4 THE SCHOOL Overall it can be said that living is expensive in general. Some prices are however (and in my personal opinion) unreasonable high which is why a little bit of search effort may pay off. Other than that it is good to forget the German rental prices and standards since San Diego s real estate market is different in every way. 4 The School First and important to mention, NUSD is not a University how many of you might imagine. The targeted audience of the NUSD are mainly working professionals who seek to receive another degree or additional education. Hence the student program is designed to meet the circumstances of this target group. For that reason classes go usually no longer than one month. Each week encompasses 2 scheduled class meetings from 17:00 22:00. The NUSD school type is best described as a German Abendschule/-universität. This is also mirrored by the individuals attending the school whose average age is around 32. Beyond the classes, the University doesn t have much to offer except a little café, a library, and a discount at the local gym. Due to the students that preponderant work during the daytime, the campus is almost deserted. Personally I have perceived the students attitude as an in-n-out attitude. Enter campus as late respectively as soon as possible. Among the locals as well as the students the NUSD shares a reputation as a school to go to when a degree needs to be earned quick or is needed in case of a job promotion. The larger Universities that mainly attract the younger people and who also have plenty of support programs and activities are UCSD and USD. Furthermore the entire school comprises multiple locations which is results in a smaller campus and office building like facilities. Overall the experience at the NUSD has personally been disappointing. But this was also due to wrong expectations that I had. The NUSD doesn t share the common University spirit as other schools do, and is therefore utterly different. Nevertheless the experience is valuable. I only want others who would like to go to NUSD to be more informed about the school as I was. 4.1 Classes Classes take place during the evening and night-time at 17:00 22:00, and a class goes a month. That is to say you will have approximately 8 class meetings that require attendance at school. Depending on the selected course each student may experience different things which is 3
4 THE SCHOOL why I want to emphasize that I am solely reflecting my own experience here. My course selection comprised the following: - MNS615 Statistics in Business - MKT602 Marketing Management - MGT602 Strategic Decision Making - MGT607 Performance Management Attending on each of my courses were about 20 students of all ages. This was particularly interesting because you will get the chance to work with people that otherwise work as a manager somewhere in a company. Each class has been graded in similar patterns. The final grade consists of a minimum of 2 exams (mainly multiple choice questions), one or two written papers (10-15 pages each), and oral presentations (10-40min). Class participation, class attitude, and punctuality are also subject to grading. Each class follows a book which is why you are advised to purchase or rent the class material. Most lectures had been pre-prepared by the faculty or seemed to be largely deducted from the teaching material provided by the leading course book. Awkwardly and repeatedly it happened that a Professor didn t know much about the PowerPoint Slides since they were provided entirely by the book. During my four classes the Professors lecture has been rather short. Hence the class usually worked on case studies from the book that were later to be presented in front of the class. Overall the class or course experience differs to Germany as the main emphasis lies on team work. Hence this may really boost your social skills. As far as it concerns the quality of the conveyed contents I personally have to say I am disappointed. Some Professors seemed not to be prepared, occasionally they have extended breaks too much, and kept lectures too short. Furthermore long attendance checks as well as lectures entirely guided by PBS online videos also decrease the overall learning. Thus and in conjunction with the amount paid in tuition fees I felt as though I have paid too much money for long breaks which is why I personally cannot recommend the school and particularly the courses mentioned earlier. 4.2 Support National University s support in case you have any issues is prompt, polite, and very helpful. As many other schools, the NUSD is also well aware of the problems that may arise during a stay in 4
5 COSTS the United States. Due to the many enrolled international Students the NUSD was able to gain significant experience with all kinds of minorities. Professors are devoted and offer personal help in any circumstance. They act upon the school codex and value equality and fairness. School Amenities are an access to a vast online library of Journals as well as the offer to print free of charge at the local computer lab. 5 Costs The following table provides a quick overview of my expenses over the course of 6 months. This table excludes the cost of a car albeit I have included the cost of the car insurance. Visa Application Fee 110 Sevis Fee 180 Tuition Fee 5000 Administration Fee 45 Health Insurance (for 6 months) 300 Flight 850 Car Insurance (for 6 months) 250 Liability Insurance (for 6 months) 50 Rent 4500 Food 3000 Books 100 Total (for 6 months) 14.385 In case you want to buy a car here is what my car has cost me. Be aware of the fact that selling your vehicle after your trip may result in a loss. Vehicle 5000 Fuel 1000 Total (for 6 months) 6.000 5